


Lovebug

by rarepairqueen



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Developing Friendships, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Injuries, Mutual Pining, Tendou is a little shit, The team in general are little shits, Volleyball Dorks in Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 00:53:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17571194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rarepairqueen/pseuds/rarepairqueen
Summary: As Shirabu takes over as first-choice setter, Semi starts thinking about his departure from the team. In the midst of his brooding, he injures his shoulder and is forced to watch Shirabu play a full match.It's an eye-opening experience, one that Tendou takes upon himself to relentlessly tease Semi about.Meanwhile Shirabu does a terrible job of hiding his feelings.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo this came out of nowhere. It was meant to be just a "short" piece to help me get over my writer's block and well like most of my projects, it ended up being 3x the original intended length.
> 
> Here's to starting 2019 the way I mean to go on; spending 12 hours a day writing?
> 
> (also the insp for the title - and most of the damn fic at this point - is the song Lovebug by the Jonas Brothers)

 

There was a change in the air at Shiratorizawa. The vying for the starting string of the team was weighing on individuals in all positions. Semi had already accepted that his time as first choice setter had been limited, being a third year meant his time, in general, was limited, but the gradual shift of Shiratorizawa's style of play had left him on the bench whilst his underclassman took up his mantle.

Sure, he was a little putout. Sure, Shirabu was infuriating to deal with. But he was still the pinch server and he was still the more experienced setter.

Practice nowadays was borderline torture for him.

"SemiSemi~" Tendou's sing-song voice grated on Semi's ears.

"What?" Semi grunted, resisting the urge to toss the ball right at the other's head. Whilst he disliked Shirabu and his attitude, Semi could stomach Tendou's banter on most days. It came with being part of the inner circle of thirds years in the club; _'you wanna hang out with us, you have to put up with Tendou's odd mannerisms_.'

"You're looking more like a SourSemi today." Tendou nudged his arm, giving him that stupid smirk he had whenever he was trying to be crafty.

He didn't feel the need to ask what Tendou was talking about, he had hoped the stoic nature he was known for would've covered his displeasure at watching Shirabu practice setting tosses for Ushijima.

"Shut up." Semi grunted, glaring at Tendou. "Aren't you meant to be blocking those spikes?" He nodded to Ushijima's rather tame spiking in comparison to what he unleashed during the ride or die matches.

Tendou looked offended, though Semi knew better, especially when Tendou started overdramatising it all.

" _Me_ , block _Wakatoshi_ spikes? Are you out of your _mind_ SemiSemi?" He gestured wildly to the spiker in question who seemed oblivious to it all, as usual.

Semi glared at him again. "Probably, I'm still here dealing with you after all."

Before Tendou could continue with his outrageous reactions, a volleyball landed a little too close to comfort near them, prompting Tendou to squeal. Semi cussed under his breath before deciding to raise his voice.

"Hey, watch it yeah?"

Ushijima put up a hand and nodded in apology, the standard, sane response. Shirabu, on the other hand, was not so apologetic.

"Well quit standing around and actually practice yeah?"

Tendou tried to stop himself laughing as Semi's grip on the ball tightened. He narrowed his eyes at the other before scoffing and turning away.  Tendou saw it as a wise move to not antagonize him any further as he stalked off to the other side of the sports hall.

It was that rude attitude that irritated Semi most of all. He could deal with Shirabu being a better setter. He could deal with his spot being taken on the first string. He could even deal with Shirabu becoming Ushijima's main setting partner.

What he couldn't deal with, was the blatant disrespect from the younger. He wasn't set on sabotaging the other though, that was too much effort for such a petty thing. But if the opportunity to put Shirabu in his place presented itself, he was certainly going to oblige.

 

* * *

 

 

A few days passed, it was a rainy evening but refreshing in a way. The smell of wet grass was in the air as Semi walked back to his dorm room from practice. The sun had just dipped below the horizon, there was a welcome chill that cooled his warm body. The practice had been punishing that afternoon, he had been receiving most of Goshiki's spikes as they tried to get their newest spiker up to speed. It was irritating to do, but someone had to try and fill Ushijima's position that following spring.

He winced as he rolled his shoulder. His mind was turning to the mountain of homework he had to finish before the weekend, counting himself lucky he didn't have any other commitments.

"Semisemi~" Tendou's loud voice carried across the courtyard outside the dorm building. Semi glanced up to the open window where the red-head was smirking as he draped himself over the window's edge.

"What? And why are you yelling?" He scowled, fishing his key out of his bag.

"Ehhh?" Tendou cocked his head to the side. "Did you forget?"

Semi was still scowling as he waved his hands in a confused gesture. "Yes?"

"You said you were gonna work on your history paper with me an Oohira~"

Semi had forgotten that. He had been too busy arguing with Shirabu about the fact that the second years had to take more responsibility in running practice. It was the main reason he had been late leaving after all. He let out a long sigh.

"I'll be there in a few, let me change first."

Tendou wrinkled his nose, still hanging out of the window. "Yeah we don't want a SweatySemi."

The tolerance Semi had for Tendou's nicknames was dwindling quickly. He didn't exactly rush to his room to change into clean clothes. When he knocked on Oohira's dorm door, he expected Tendou to answer and make some reference to him taking so long. Thankfully, Semi was allowed to let himself in and plonk his books down on the floor. Oohira raised an eyebrow but said nothing as Tendou at least had the courtesy to wait for Semi to sit down before launching into his next tangent.

"So," Tendou wiggled his eyebrows, Semi was never sure how he did that but seldom did anything good come of it. "you were late back."

Semi sighed, flicking open his history textbook to the chapter they had to reference in their paper. "And?"

"Coach Washijo lets the third years leave immediately after practice these days thanks to all this," Tendou gestured to his half-written paper "so why were _you_ so late back here?"

"Because I got into a debate with my _ever so wonderful_ kouhai about that fact and why he needed to put the ball bin away." Semi glared at Tendou. "Satisfied?"

Tendou wiggled his eyebrows again. "Shirabu giving you shit?"

Oohira snorted as he turned the page in his textbook. "Shirabu's always giving Eita shit."

"I second that." Semi uttered. "Throwing around weight he doesn't have."

"Well he is on the first string now..." Tendou twirled a pen around rather than writing anything. "He kinda has the right to be smug."

"He's got the right to shut the hell up and respect his senpais."

Tendou chuckled. "Wow, you really don't like him."

There was another snort form Oohira. "He's just salty."

"SaltySemi." Tendou teased, poking Semi's forehead with the point of his pen.

"I thought we were here to write our history papers, not make up new names for me?"

Not wanting to -literally- poke the bear further, Tendou focused his attention on the paper. For a while the three of them worked quietly, occasionally asking each other for help wording their thoughts or for a good reason to finish the paper in the first place.

It was considerably later in the evening when they finished, Semi was fully prepared to take a shower and then go to bed. His shoulder was still giving him slight pain whenever he moved it suddenly, something that had caught the attention of Tendou.

"What? It's just sore." Semi pouted.

"How?" Tendou 's usual jokey attitude faltered slightly.

Semi would've shrugged but he wasn't stupid enough to cause himself more pain. "One of Goshiki's spikes caught it, it's not a big deal."

Oohira was looking slightly concerned as he rubbed his chin. "We have a match on Friday, you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, it's just sore." He dismissed the seriousness it could be. "I'm sure it'll be better tomorrow."

"And if it isn't?" Oohira asked. "You know Coach Washijo won't let you serve."

Semi rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, it's just a sore shoulder. It'll bruise probably but I doubt it'll be an issue." He snorted. "Besides, I’m not even first choice setter anymore am I? Does it really matter?"

Tendou and Oohira exchanged a glance, Tendou let out a sigh. "Well imma head to bed, I gotta be up early for that sunrise~"

"You're still insane for getting up that early every day." Oohira shook his head as Tendou stood up and collected his books.

"What can I say? I just like feeling the sun's warmth on my face. Makes me feel rejuvenated." He swooned slightly as he slowly made his way to the door and let himself out. "See you both tomorrow~"

As the door shut, both of them let out a sigh before chuckling.

"He's something else." Oohira hummed.

"Yeah, almost irritating but not quite." Semi stifled a yawn. "Unlike some people."

There was a pause as Oohira gave Semi a curious glance. "So you got into a debate with Kenjirou..." 

"He was being a little shit, yes."

"Have you ever thought that maybe he goes out of his way to annoy you?"

Semi let out a sarcastic laugh. "Reon, you're funny."

"I'm serious," he leaned back on his hands "maybe you rise too quickly to his sass. He probably finds it amusing and let's face it, our practice sessions sometimes aren't exactly the most entertaining, so I don't blame him."

Semi wasn't sure whether it was an attack on him or not. He snorted. "You're saying he does it on purpose to get a rise out of me?"

"He knows you're salty about being the second choice now." Oohira reasoned. "And you kinda make it easy sometimes Eita."

"Hey!"

Oohira gave him a smug smile. "Exactly my point."

"pfft." Semi pouted slightly before letting out a small laugh. "I guess when you put it like that...it makes sense."

"I have my moments." Oohira's smug smile didn't falter, prompting Semi to playfully shove him.

"I hate it when you're right."

"So do most people."

"I bet Wakatoshi fucking loves it."

"You'd be surprised, when I've pointed out his wrong answers on homework before, he just goes _'oh'_ really quietly."

Semi laughed loudly, forgetting his sore shoulder for a second before the pain flared up again. He winced as he clutched his shoulder, causing Oohira to give him a concerned glance.

"You better go and rest that." He said, standing up and offering a hand to Semi. The other took it and got to his feet, letting out a sharp exhale as the pain died down.

With a little help, he got his stuff together and made it back to his room. He rummaged around in his desk for the painkillers, taking them with ease as the warm water of the shower began to steam up his bathroom. once under the spray, he felt his tense muscles ease a little. He started thinking of the next piece of homework, the next thing that needed his attention most, the next match.

His confidence in being match fit was wavering as his shoulder still felt tight. It wouldn't be the end of the world if he didn't play, but he'd be forced to watch Shirabu set for an entire match. He wasn't exactly thrilled at that idea. He wanted to make every match count in these final months of high-school sport. It was a feeling that haunted every third year, regardless of their team's standings; these were the last few months of their high-school careers, most of them would give up the team after this next tournament, some the entire sport.

For those at schools like Shiratorizawa, this sport was all they knew. He had gotten into the school on a sports scholarship after all, as had most of the team by this point. Academics certainly weren't a _weak_ point, but if he had to pick between graduating into college or staying and playing volleyball for the next year, he knew which he'd pick.

Perhaps it was that attachment that was making him despise Shirabu a little. He envied the fact that Shirabu had another year, he had more time with the team, more time to be immature and not think about his future whereas Semi and the other third years always had this thought in the back of their mind; _'we don't have long left'_.

With a heavy sigh, he shut the water off. He remained in the shower, the air still damp around him as water dripped from his hair. He needed to get over this. The time for feeling sombre would come on graduation day, not that night.

 

* * *

 

 

Shirabu huffed loudly as he gazed across the court. Their opponents were a team from the Yamagata prefecture, he wasn't sure why they were wasting time with unworthy opponents. He'd rather be facing the likes of Fukuroudani or even Aoba Josai, not some low ranking high-school. Ushijima had told the team that it was a chance to test some of their new combinations of players, the inference was that this was a time to see how well the team could cope without the third years,

The fact that Semi was deemed too injured to play was just an added detail. They'd be without their first-choice pinch server for that match, not that it really mattered to Shirabu. What _did_ matter was being lumbered with Goshiki as the main wing spiker.

"Look, all you have to do is spike and receive," Shirabu hissed as Goshiki looked like he was gonna pass out before the starting whistle blew "just trust me yeah?"

He got a pout in return. "Shut up!"

It was far from a free-flowing match, Shirabu may be the first-choice setter now but that didn't mean he had completely gelled with all the players yet. He was far too used to the third years being exactly where they needed to be, the second and first years left a lot to be desired. They still lead comfortably into the second quarter, but the stress was beginning to mount.

"Goshiki, get it!" He called as he tossed the ball to the other side of their half. He heard the squeak of sneakers on the polished floor before the smack of the first contact. He waited to hear the opposition's panicked calls, instead, he heard a sharp twang before another smack.

When he looked up, Goshiki had a rather bright red mark on his forehead, the ball long since bounced out of play.

"What the fu---" He began before the whistle cut him off. Their middle blocker Kawanishi signalled for a timeout and was granted by the referee. Shirabu sighed loudly as Goshiki rubbed his forehead. "How the fuck did you hit the net?"

"You didn't time it right!" Goshiki argued back, despite Kawanishi trying to keep them from tearing each other to pieces.

"What?!" Shirabu snapped. "Me? All you had to do was run and spike, how was that so hard to do?"

Kawanishi got between them and shoved them apart. "Quit it," he uttered, "you're showing us up."

Shirabu narrowed his eyes. "He's the one who missed the spike."

"And you're the one who supposedly tossed it." Goshiki retorted.

"Alright!" Coach Washijo called before looking to his third years. "Oohira sub on for Goshiki. Show him how a wing spiker should operate."

Shirabu had to smirk a little at the fact Goshiki got subbed off. He was used to setting for Oohira by now, the rest of the match would go by a breeze.

From the bench, Semi inwardly sighed as Goshiki sat next to him. He somewhat wanted to comfort the other but at the same time, this was the school of hard knocks. Goshiki had to get used to being yelled at if he wanted to survive on the same team as Shirabu.

"He mistimed that set." Semi uttered, catching Goshiki's attention. "You would've landed it if he had been paying better attention."

Ushijima nodded in agreement. "Kenjirou needs to learn to adapt better."

"Which means you need to practice more." Semi glanced at Goshiki as play resumed. "You need to stand your ground when he gets like this."

"How...I just did and--"

"No, you argued with him." Tendou piped up. "Like SemiSemi does."

Ignoring Tendou, Semi continued the train of thought. "Take it on the chin and take it up with him off the court. Getting riled up in the middle of the match will get you penalized by the refs."

Their kouhai seemed to understand a little. They returned to watching the match, Shirabu was more focused now Oohira was spiking for him. He moved with the grace that Semi had seen many setters move with, being able to analyse the play in front of them and decide which spiker to toss to was a finely-honed skill. Some players were naturally talented in the position, others had to work at it.

Shirabu was one of the latter, and sometimes it still showed.

The disharmony that changing spikers had caused meant the opposition gained a set, thus prolonging the game. Semi continued watching as more substitutions were called and Shirabu was surrounded by the starting line-up. There was an air of confidence about the younger setter now he had his tried and tested third years around him.

"Does he hate me?" Goshiki asked. "He's usually more okay with me."

Semi shook his head. "Doubt it, he just..." he trailed off. He honestly didn't know what it was about Shirabu that made him seem confrontational. Usually, he was easy to deal with, at least for the others. "Maybe he's having an off day."

"Usually he's composed and easily adapts."

Semi watched as Shirabu pulled off a dump and secured another point. He noticed it then, it had been slight, but he met Shirabu's gaze as he landed. There was a slight smile on the other's face before he tore his gaze away.

"...I'm not sure." Semi murmured, not quite understanding why his heart fluttered the way it did.

The conversation ceased as Semi started watching every move of the other. The calm and composed Shirabu they knew was in full control of the game now, Ushijima may have been the captain, but Shirabu was controlling the game-plan.

Every jump, every receive, every spike and toss was timed almost to perfection but that's not what Semi was watching now. it was the smile on Shirabu's face whenever he secured a point, directly or otherwise. He was watching a little too closely perhaps as he got caught unintentionally staring.

"Oooh SemiSemi looks so serious~" Tendou poked his forehead, bringing him back to earth. He didn't realise Tendou was being subbed off so close to the end.

"I-uh..." he didn't have a witty comeback, Tendou raised an eyebrow.

"Gazing at your kouhai? _Admiring_ his skills?"

Semi passed Tendou a water bottle silently. He didn't like how his face felt warm.

"Am I close?" Tendou took the bottle and took a long drink as Semi remained stubbornly silent on the matter. When there was no response, Tendou abruptly pressed his hand to Semi's cheek. "Oooh, you're warm for someone who hasn't played."

"Get off!" Semi swatted him away, trying not to draw attention to himself. By chance -or dumb luck, he wasn't sure- he glanced up and met Shirabu's slightly puzzled glance. That certainly didn't help matters as he felt his chest clench.

Goshiki seemed confused to say the least as Tendou cackled at Semi's reaction.

"So was I close?" Tendou asked again, sitting down next to Semi and following his gaze. "You're not watching him in the interest of giving him setter tips, _riiiight_?"

Semi scowled, jabbing Tendou in the side. "Shut. Up."

Tendou bit down on his lip and grinned. "The guess-monster guesses right again~"

"I got one, guess how I’m going to murder you and get away with it if you even _think_ about telling anyone else what you think you guessed right." Semi uttered through gritted teeth.

"Oooh, ScarySemi~ I like this side of you~"

"You're gonna get HomicidalSemi if you don't keep your trap shut."

"Why are you both whispering?" Goshiki asked, nearly getting jabbed for startling Semi.

"Because SemiSemi has--"

"Nothing to report. Nope. Nothing at all." Semi slapped a hand over Tendou's mouth. "Except maybe a murder later on."

"Oh." Goshiki blinked, seemingly unfazed by the third-year antics at this stage. "Cause the match is about to finish."

Still with his hand over Tendou's mouth, Semi redirected his attention to the match that was wrapping up. Oohira was serving, meaning it was set to be a rally if the opposition received it. Shirabu was tense as the ball soared over the net. Sure enough, the exhausted opposition received the spike and sent it back, meaning Shirabu had to make the call to shut the game down.

Most of Semi wanted him to choke, to show he wasn't cut out for lasting an entire match.

But there was a small part of him that was hoping he'd prove himself.

It was over in seconds, the toss to Ushijima and then the deadly spike. The referee's whistle sounded but Semi didn't hear it, he was watching Shirabu's sheer joy at the result.

"Heeeeeey," Tendou poked Semi's cheek "do you need to see the nurse about your illness?"

"...illness?" Semi repeated, a little confused.

"You got a sore shoulder for a start, but I think there's something _much_ more serious," Tendou grinned as the rest of the team started lining up, " _You caught the lovebug_." he murmured before skipping to meet the rest of the team.

It took Semi a second to process what Tendou meant by that. He swallowed as he waited for the teams to be dismissed, he was hoping he could slink out of the gym without having to talk to anyone. He needed to figure what the fuck just happened to him. It seemed that fate had other plans.

"Shirabu, go and discuss your performance with Semi." Coach Washijo barked. "He was watching you the entire match so he probably has some insight for you."

_'oh fuck you coach'_ Semi's thoughts screamed as there were a few raised eyebrows from the third years. Shirabu snorted as he took the water bottle from Oohira and made his way over to Semi.

"So, how did I do?" Shirabu took a drink from the bottle, seemingly oblivious to the staring by the others and Semi's silence at first.

"Uh, well aside from arguing with your spiker...you did well." Semi winced slightly as he went to rub the back of his neck with his bad arm. "Yeah, that's--"

"Hey, Goshiki wasn't paying attention." Shirabu pouted his lips in irritation. Semi wanted to scream, willing himself not to start staring so obviously at the other's features.

"No, that's not an excuse." He summoned his usual stoic attitude from the ravine it had been tossed down earlier. "You're the setter, you have to adapt to meet the spiker's needs."

"They need to be in the right place." Shirabu stuck to his guns. Stubbornly so.

Semi inhaled sharply. "Do you think a setter like Akaashi blames Bokuto for being in the wrong place? No, he adapts to meet Bokuto’s needs during a game. And if your chosen spiker isn't ready, you are the one whose _sole purpose_ on that court is to make the choice to change spikers."

Getting chewed out in public wasn't Shirabu's idea of fun. He scowled as Semi's words hung in the air.

"Anything else, _senpai_?" The venom in the title made Semi's chest ache ever so slightly, but it also poked the fury that had been simmering with all the attitude he was getting.

He stepped forward, closing the gap slightly between them. "You can disrespect me all you like, I don't have to play on the same court as you. But the relationship between setter and spiker is sacred. You better start learning how to drop the attitude if you _ever_ hope to be a world-class setter on _any_ team."

Shirabu's eyes widened at the cold words, not able to summon an argument as Semi backed off and immediately started to leave the gym. He ignored the first few calls from their coach to halt, yelling that he was going to the nurse.

 

* * *

 

 

"And what the fuck did I do to deserve _that_?!" Shirabu repeated the question. Ushijima was listening but not really saying much as the young setter paced his dorm room. The captain had offered to hear him out about any frustrations he had and well, the list seemed to be dominated by Semi's name.

"Like, okay maybe I shouldn't have been so snappy to Goshiki but he was--"

"In the wrong place." Ushijima supplied. "Except you know he wasn't."

Shirabu sighed, halting at the comment. "...yeah."

Ushijima nodded slightly. "Admitting you were in the wrong is the first step to bettering yourself."

"But he shouldn't have yelled at me!" Shirabu wheeled around, arms waving in the air to gesture how outrageous he found Semi's reaction.

"True. But he had seen something that needed addressing."

"In front of the team though?!"

"He knew you'd take him more seriously if he chewed you out in front of us. If he had told you in private, you would've brushed him off, would you not?"

There was a pout. Ushijima let out a hum as he checked his phone.

**From:** Satori  **Tendou**

_Hey Wakatoshi~ So I'm listening to SemiSemi and boy oh boy he's got it baaaad. He's sat here thinking he goofed up and now Shirabu won't talk to him. SO HERE'S THE PLAN--_

Ushijima scanned the words and hummed again. Shirabu had remained quiet for a few moments before he abruptly changed the subject somewhat.

"Do I have an attitude problem?" He asked.

Ushijima could understand what Semi had pointed out, but he also knew Shirabu respected the rest of the third years. There was something about Semi that was different.

"Not in the sense that you think." He replied, staying neutral as always. "I think Eita feels that you have a vendetta against him."

"A vendetta--" Shirabu broke off into a fit of laughter. "Wait you're not laughing."

Ushijima shook his head.

"I don't have a vendetta?" Shirabu rubbed his face. "No...no I just...."

Ushijima's phone buzzed. He ignored it. "Just?"

Shirabu resumed pacing, keeping his hands resting on his neck as he thought. "Like, he's a good setter...I remember seeing his middle school matches, just how he commands the game..." His voice was quiet, unlike anything Ushijima had heard from him before. "I remember thinking I wanted to learn everything from him and be the best setter so I can play alongside players like you."

Ushijima was finding this interesting, to say the least. "And now?"

Shirabu paused, inhaling deeply before letting out a low hum. "I don't know, since the start of this year I just started forgetting that I guess...and today was my first match where I got to stay on the entire time."

"You wanted that surely?"

"Yeah but--" he sighed loudly. "Not because he was injured." He shook his head. "I don't know how to do a pinch serve. I blamed Goshiki for my own mistake. When Semi pointed this out to me I just...I just felt that I had disappointed him?"

Ushijima glanced at his phone.

**From:** **Satori  Tendou**

_And now Semi is babbling about how he thought Shirabu played well today and geeez I’ve never seen him so worked up. I think the nurse gave him the wrong meds. Or he's really in love. Both are possible._

"You didn't disappoint him." Ushijima stated. "You didn't disappoint any of us."

"Pffft, well Semi seemed pretty pissed at me."

"Eita is..." Ushijima wasn't sure how to word it. "it's probably best you talk to him."

Shirabu's eyebrows furrowed. "You sure?"

"Maybe not right this second. He's on pain meds for his shoulder."

There was a look of genuine concern form Shirabu. "How is he? Like, will he play next week?"

"Coach thinks so, as long as he rests it this weekend. He's just strained it a little I think."

Shirabu nodded. "Uh, well I guess I'll get going...I should probably apologise to Goshiki."

Ushijima nodded in return. "Apologising is the second step."

There was a small smile. "Yeah, yeah.... thanks Ushijima-senpai." He let himself out of the room and sighed heavily. A sense of relief had washed over him at hearing he hadn't disappointed his entire team, even more so at hearing Semi wasn't disappointed.

As he walked towards his dorm room, his mind started tumbling, replaying the events of the match. The dump had been a highlight, he remembered the satisfaction at hearing the ball hit the ground. He remembered landing squarely and not falling forwards like in the past.

He remembered catching Semi's gaze on him and the way his chest clenched.

He paused in the hallway, there was a tingling feeling in his fingers as he tried not to dwell on it. As much as he tried to think about other things, he kept coming back to it. His worry for the other's injury kept coming back with it.

Despite Ushijima's recommendation, he turned on his heel and made his way towards the nurse's office.

 

* * *

 

  _Now I'm speechless_  
_Over the edge, I'm just breathless_  
_I never thought that I'd catch this lovebug again_

 

Semi's head hurt. The medication the nurse had given him didn't quite make the headache go away. It had begun near his nose; his upper cheekbones had hurt like hell before the pain travelled to his forehead.

The nurse had said it was a tension headache, caused by stress probably.

He didn't have to think hard about what stress that was.

She had let him return to his room where he lay in the dark trying to ease his worries that he hadn't just screwed everything up. He hadn't meant to be so cutthroat with Shirabu. He wanted to help Shirabu be better, be smarter as a setter.

He had also gone from zero to a hundred in an effort to try and stop himself thinking about how soft Shirabu's lips were.

In short, this was shaping up to be the worst week of Semi's life, and the knock at the door wasn't promising it getting better.

He opened the door, letting the hallway light flood in and make him wince.

"Oh, shit did I wake you?" Shirabu’s voice lacked any hostility, rather he was concerned.

"No..." Semi shook his head. "I just have a headache."

Eyes widened. "Oh, uh well I'll come back--"

"No, no..." Semi sighed, opening the door wider. "Come in, I need to talk to you."

There was an essence of panic that ripped through Shirabu but he nodded anyway. Semi turned on a small desk lamp to spare him the intense overhead lights. Shirabu wasn't sure what to do until Semi gestured for him to sit on the bed. Semi himself remained stood up, keeping one arm hugging himself in an effort to keep his shoulder still.

"So about earlier--" Semi started, getting cut off by Shirabu.

"I'm sorry!"  He blurted out. "I...I have an attitude problem."

Semi blinked slowly. "I was going to say I was sorry for what I said but go on."

Shirabu fidgeted slightly. "I spoke to Ushijima, and he made me understand a few things...or rather remember a few things." He averted his gaze, trying to spit the words out before he fell back on his old habits of getting hostile in the face of confrontation. "I remembered when I first saw you play when I saw how you control the game, how you make Ushijima shine like the ace he is."

Semi raised an eyebrow.

"I knew I wanted _you_ to teach me how to be a better setter. I didn't want to learn from anyone else, not Oikawa, not Akaashi...you." A few seconds of silence passed before Shirabu met Semi's gaze and continued. "When I heard you were too injured to play today, I was excited to play, but when I was actually on that court, I just felt...out of place?"

"Out of place? You're the first-choice setter now. It's where you belong." Semi snorted.

"No, it's where _you_ belong." Shirabu stood up, gaze fixed on Semi's slightly surprised expression. "You belong alongside Ushijima and Tendou. You're their setter. You know their play-style, you know their skill-sets."

"...so do you." Semi simply said. "I've accepted that my time as the setter is near an end. Now I have to look to the future, whether I want to or not." He swallowed. "Kenjirou, you're the first-choice setter of Shiratorizawa now, not me."

"I'm not ready!" Shirabu's voice cracked. "I-I yelled at my spiker today! I told him he was in the wrong when it was me!"

Semi nodded. "And now you go and apologise to him and you don't do it again. That's part of the learning process."

"Why are you being so defeatist about this?" Shirabu shook his head. "Eita I--"

Semi put up a hand to get him to stop. "Just, listen."

Shirabu closed his mouth and watched as Semi picked up a pile of papers from his desk.

"This is my college application." He held it up. "In seven months, I'll be graduating. And I was thinking about how the other third years in all the other teams are facing the same problem; do we play right up to our last day, or do we step back for the good of our teams?" He set the papers down, meeting Shirabu's gaze. "The Shiratorizawa team of tomorrow is in your hands now. For the good of the team, I need to step back and let you practice with them."

"But you _love_ volleyball." Shirabu countered. "You got in on a sports scholarship, I got in because of an exam." He stepped closer to the other. "You have poured blood, sweat and tears into this team and I'm not about to let you give it up because of one match! So you were injured, so I proved I can survive a match on my own but I'm not there yet!"

Semi let out a sigh. To hear Shirabu confess he wasn't ready would've been music to his ears before this week. But he had seen that day just how much joy the other got from the game. He couldn't take that away for his own selfish desire. He wanted to see Shirabu win with the team. He wanted to see Shirabu smile again.

"You are." Semi softly spoke.

"No I'm not...I'm not." Shirabu's tone softened. "I...I need you." He spoke barely above a whisper. "Eita...I need you."

The words sounded strange coming from the one who had shown such disrespect, but Semi tried not to let himself think too much into it.

"You'll be fine." He murmured. "You'll build a good team."

"I wasn't talking about the _team_."

"...what were you talking about then?" Semi kept his gaze steady, the startled look in Shirabu's eyes told him that the other didn't mean to blurt that out. His chest was aching as his heart thundered. "Kenjirou?"

"I..." His voice trailed off. "Nevermind!" His voice cracked again. "I'll, I'll let you rest and do..." he gestured to the papers. "Yeah, uh I'll see you around I guess."

Before Semi could argue, Shirabu let himself out of the room. He had half a mind to chase the other down, but he figured that wouldn't help matters. He pulled out his phone and called Oohira.

"Hey," he grunted "can you go and talk to Shirabu, he just...said a lot of things and I don't know what to think. Just don't tell him I sent you."

With the much calmer teammate on the case, Semi decided he really needed to go the fuck to sleep and try to process all the craziness of the day. His tension headache hadn't exactly gone away during the stressful conversation.

Now he just had the same phrase running around in his head;

_"Eita, I need you."_

He didn't want to spend hours thinking it over, but he was having a hard time getting his brain to obey his command.

 


	2. Chapter 2

_Now I'm hopeless, head over heels_   _in_   _the moment_  
_I never thought that I'd get hit by this lovebug again_  
 

The weekend was calm in comparison to Friday's events. By the time Monday rolled around, Semi's shoulder had healed to the point where he could do warm-up stretches without wincing. Coach Washijo was wary of letting do a full practice but he could do some light setting drills with Ushijima.

There was a noticeable shift in the air though. Tendou had asked Semi if anything had happened after he dropped Semi at his dorm, Semi decided not to reveal the conversation with Shirabu to the entire team. They didn't need to hear how insecure the other was.

Oohira had spoken to Shirabu but didn't really get much sense out of him. It was clear to him that whatever was said between the two setters was going to remain that way.

Throughout practice, Shirabu had been distracted. He missed tosses, he mistimed even the basic motions, even his serves were diabolical. Coach Washijo had enough and pulled him aside to give him a grilling over his lack of focus. Semi could only watch, and that didn't go unnoticed.

"What's up with him?" Yamagata asked. Semi shook his head.

"Nothing." Was his reply. "He's just adapting."

"Adapting to what? Failing?" Goshiki uttered.

"Hey now," Semi grunted, "we all have off days."

"You're being strangely nice..." Tendou remarked, nudging Semi's side.

"And you're still being annoying." Semi hissed.

Ushijima gave the ball to Tendou. "Practice your blocks with Goshiki." He spoke softly, gesturing for Semi to follow him. They walked over to Coach Washijo still grilling Shirabu and Ushijima cleared his throat, stopping the yelling.

"Sensei, may I suggest letting Semi counsel Shirabu for the remainder of practice? Maybe Eita can get to the bottom of why he's not focusing."

Usually, their coach would be outraged at the interruption. But Ushijima had this way of getting the coaches to agree with him.

"Fine." Washijo sighed, looking to Semi. "If he isn't back on form by Friday, you're back on the first string."

Semi nodded. He gently pushed Shirabu to start walking. They didn't leave the gym, Semi didn't want to bend the rules any further than they were already, but simply entered the storage room.

Once in the relatively private room, Semi folded his arms across his chest.

"So, what's going on Kenjirou?"

Shirabu wouldn't meet his gaze. "Nothing."

"Cut the crap, tell me." Semi inwardly winced at his tone, immediately softening his stance. "Please."

It succeeded in getting Shirabu to look up from the floor. His eyes were wide as he bit on his lip. "It's nothing, don't worry--"

"Too late, I am worried." Semi sighed, letting his arms fall to his sides. "Kenjirou, is it about Friday night?"

The light blush rising on Shirabu's cheeks told him all he needed to know. "...maybe."

The sounds of the regular practice session echoed off the gym walls and into the storage room. Semi found the sound of squeaking sneakers oddly comforting at that moment.

"I'll get to the point I guess," he found his own voice wobbling as he stood there "what did you mean by you 'need' me?" Once again Shirabu averted his gaze, prompting Semi to step forward and take Shirabu by the shoulders. "Hey, you can tell me."

"No I can't." Shirabu whispered. "You won't--"

"Try me." Semi whispered back, surprising himself with his soft tone. "If it's about the team, about volleyball, about college--"

"It's not." Shirabu cut in. "It's not any...of those."

There were a few moments of silence between them. Semi's pulse was in his ears as he gently exhaled.

"When you were playing on Friday," he continued whispering as Shirabu was shaking like a leaf "you executed that dump with a level of finesse I could never copy, but the best part was when you landed, and you knew you had scored." He brought a slightly trembling hand up to Shirabu's cheek. "The smile on your face," he titled Shirabu's face up to meet his gaze, "that was when I knew that I was leaving the team in good hands, but it was also the moment..."

He trailed off as Shirabu's eyes widened. He couldn't stop his thumb swiping gently over Shirabu’s lower lip.

"When you pouted at me afterwards," he changed gears as he began to lose his nerve. "I just...I snapped into my usual stoic-self, but I regretted it later."

"You did?" Shirabu breathed, not moving.

"Yeah...I didn't mean what I said I was just...battling myself."

Shirabu swallowed. "And now?"

The echoes of volleyballs hitting the gym floor seemed far away as Semi gazed into Shirabu's eyes. Regardless of what was going to happen in the next seven months, he was going to remember this moment more vividly than the three years he had spent in this gym.

He let out another short exhale before leaning forward. Shirabu's lips were soft like he had imagined, and he found himself smiling at the small noise of surprise from the other. When he pulled away slightly Shirabu's hands found his shirt and pulled him back into the kiss. Their noses bumped and Shirabu nearly fell backwards, only saved from tumbling to the ground by Semi's quick reflexes.

"...does that answer your question?" Semi breathed as he held Shirabu. The rising blush on the other's cheeks preceded him burying his face in Semi's chest.

"Yeah." He replied. "It does."

"Do you think you can focus now?" Semi hummed, ruffling Shirabu's hair.

"No, you're too distracting."

Semi snorted. "Uh huh, well I'm not about to waltz out there and tell coach _'soz, I tried kissing him and everything, but he says I’m just too damn distracting'_."

"Oh my god please do," Shirabu glanced up at him. "It'll be hilarious."

"As much as I say I'm happy leaving the team to you, I'd rather not leave in a fucking _body bag_ y'know?"

Shirabu laughed, it was something Semi wasn't used to hearing and it made his heart melt a little. There was a pause before Semi slowly let Shirabu go.

"Do we...say anything the others?" Shirabu asked.

"Not yet." Semi took his hand and linked their fingers together. "Come to my dorm room later, we can talk more about it. Right now, we should probably get back out there and pretend we weren't just making out in the storage closet."

If Shirabu had any objections, he didn't voice them. He smiled and let go of Semi's hand before slapping his face in a vague attempt to get himself to focus. Semi chuckled slightly but let him go on ahead, pausing for a moment to dwell on the development.

All things considered, he couldn't think of a better outcome.

Walking back into the gym, he noticed Shirabu talking to Goshiki. He wasn't allowed to dwell on it as Tendou immediately accosted him.

"Oooh, SemiSemi~" He nudged Semi in the side. "You two were in there a while and we didn't hear any yelling." He wiggled his eyebrows. "What happened?"

"Nothing really." Semi shrugged. "Well, nothing that you need to know."

Tendou's jaw dropped as Semi carried on his way to inform Coach Washijo that Shirabu was back on form after some words of encouragement.

Once the main practice was over, most of the third years left to make early starts on their homework. however Washijo asked if Semi could hang back, not that he was in a hurry to leave anyway, it just gave him an excuse to avoid Tendou's questions.

He hung around as the second and first years were debriefed by the coaching staff, told what they were to work on next practice and how they were having another match on Friday, this time with a team from Akita. He remembered his first few debriefs like that, the expectation to do well in those practice matches and the pressure of knowing it was their one chance to get onto the first string.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Washijo barking at him to come over. The team had been dismissed but Shirabu remained under the intense gaze of their coach, he was trying not to let his nerves show as he fidgeted with his fingers.

"Yes sensei?" Semi asked, stoic nature rising to deflect whatever criticism was headed his way.

Washijo looked between them, an eyebrow rising slowly. "Right. So this match on Friday, given your attitude last week Shirabu and the display today, by all accounts I should bench you so you can watch Semi."

Shirabu didn't say anything, Semi was waiting for the 'but' that was hanging in the air.

"But," Washijo rubbed his chin in thought "the team I'm building for next year doesn't need a setter like Semi. And I need you," he gestured to Shirabu "to get yourself to the same level."

"If I may," Semi raised his hand, Washijo nodded for him to continue "let Shirabu start. I'll train with him this week and make sure he's ready."

Shirabu's eyes widened, he wanted to object but that would almost certainly end his volleyball career there and then.

Washijo laughed. "What's this? Semi Eita rolling over to let his kouhai take over?"

There was a slight grimace from Semi. "Sensei, you and I both know I'm not 'rolling over', I'm simply thinking of the team of tomorrow. Besides," he allowed himself to smile "as a server, I'm freer."

Washijo seemed to mull it over. "Very well. That'll be all."

They both bowed in respect before excusing themselves from the now empty gym. Neither said anything as they walked towards the dorm building, Semi could guess that Shirabu was over-thinking things now. Thankfully there wasn't any sign of Tendou draping himself out of any open windows as they approached the entrance.

"Do you have anything to do or--" Semi started as they started up the stairs.

"No." Shirabu replied. "I uh, I'm always ahead on my assignments."

Semi smiled. "As expected from a hard-working student."

They reached Semi's room without coming across any of the teammates or classmates. Shirabu let the door shut softly behind him. He noted the college application still sat on the other's desk as he sat on the edge of the bed. It was hard to describe the feeling that was coursing through him.

He waited for Semi to sit next to him before he broached the subject.

"You sure you're okay with me being on the first string?"

Semi nodded. "Coach said it himself, Shiratorizawa doesn't need a setter like me. I play too fast, too risky. Sure it benefits some matches, but others it's nearly cost us." He took Shirabu's hand in his, their fingers linking. "You're better suited for this team right now than me, and sure you're rough around the edges but that's why I'm going to whip you into shape."

"You're still the better server." Shirabu shook his head.

"Hey, I gotta have _something_ to bring to the table...and something to shove in Oikawa's face. That's the other thing, you're gonna have to face off against setters like Akaashi."

"I'm sure I'll be fine." Shirabu scoffed.

"You never know what'll come your way, and you've got to trust your teammates." Semi squeezed his hand. "When your back's against the wall, they'll look to you to set up the play that'll break through and score. There'll be aces that hog the limelight as the stars, but without the setter, the aces can't shine."

"Like Ushijima." Shirabu murmured, meeting Semi's gaze. "Without you he wouldn't have shone so brightly when I watched you play last year."

Semi shrugged. "And now it's your job to make him shine, and when he's gone your attention then falls to Goshiki."

"Goshiki...being our next ace?"

"Ushijima seems confident in him. And I think he's got potential to claim it, but he needs the unwavering support of his setter to really succeed."

He let the words hang in the air for a few moments, holding Shirabu's gaze. The silence drew on for a few more moments as Shirabu leaned forward and rested his head on Semi's shoulder.

"Enough about that." He murmured. "I don't...there's more to life than volleyball."

Semi ran a hand through Shirabu's hair. "There is, outside the walls of the academy there's a whole world waiting."

There was a pause, Shirabu chuckled slightly prompting Semi hum in curiosity.

"Maybe my world isn't out there."

"Okay, that was fucking cheesy." Semi snorted, pushing Shirabu back a little and seeing his mischievous smile. "Where the hell did you pick that up from?"

Shirabu shrugged. "Oohira may have said that you're a secret softie."

"I'm gonna kill him," Semi scoffed "what else did he say?"

"Hmm, not much." He leaned closer, brushing his lips against Semi's cheek. "He said you're competitive."

Semi brought a hand up to cup Shirabu's face before turning and stealing his lips in a chaste kiss. "Oh yeah?" He murmured into the kiss.

"Mmhm." Shirabu returned the favour.

Conversation ceased as Semi kissed Shirabu again, this time parting his lips just enough to coax the other to do the same. Their noses bumped as faces tilted to meet one another. Semi hummed as he felt Shirabu smile. He gently coaxed the other to lie back stealing his lips again as arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him down.

"This is..." Shirabu breathed as Semi looked down at him with a fondness in his eyes. "surreal."

"Surreal?" Semi repeated, brushing a few loose strands of hair away from Shirabu’s eyes.

"Yeah," he didn't seem in a hurry to elaborate on his point as he ran his fingers through Semi's hair "it all just happened so unexpectedly."

"I hear that." Semi hummed. "This time last week I still saw you as the irritating little shit."

Shirabu pretended to be offended but ended up cracking a smile. "Nice to know I had my own title, but what am I now?"

"Now..." There was a pause as lips met once more in slow, soft movements. "Now you're still irritating but in a more endearing fashion."

"Gee thanks." Shirabu poked Semi's forehead.

"What about you hm? What changed your mind so quickly?"

Pale cheeks turned rosy as Shirabu worried his bottom lip between his teeth. "Uh...uhm." He swallowed as Semi continued gazing at him. "Who said I changed my mind?"

It took a second for Semi to process the meaning of the question. Maybe Oohira's initial analysis of Shirabu's behaviour wasn't far off after all. He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah? So all this time you were being irritating--"

"I was confused." Shirabu blurted out. "I-I didn't know how to...why I felt the way I did. And I didn't want to upset the team balance, not when everyone is counting on me."

Semi gently put a finger to Shirabu’s lips. "It's okay Kenjirou." He smiled. "Everything's okay."

He let out a weak laugh, nodding. "Yeah, more than okay."

They remained quiet for a while. Fingertips skimmed over cheeks as they exchanged light touches and gentle kisses. It seemed strikingly different from how they usually spent time together; yelling and scoffing at one another's remarks. There was an innocence to it all, an innocence Semi didn't realise he craved.

"What was it about me then?" Semi dared to ask. "Why not someone like Ushijima?"

Shirabu hummed in thought. "You've got a fire about you. It's fun to tease it out of you."

"Uh huh." Semi poked his nose. "So you enjoy torturing me."

"Teasing." Shirabu argued, giggling as Semi shook his head.

"Anything else?"

Shirabu shook his head. "You're just...you."

It didn't seem like Shirabu was in a hurry to elaborate further so Semi just chalked it up to something to talk about another time. He wanted to stay there forever, just alone with Shirabu, the most unlikely of partners in his mind. If he told his past self this would happen, he would've laughed. It seemed so ludicrous but at the same time, it felt right.

"Eita,"

"Yeah?"

Shirabu found one of Semi's hands and linked their fingers together. "...what happens now?"

"In what sense?"

"Are we...a thing?"

Semi's heart fluttered. That was a whole different can of worms to be opened. "Do you want us to be a thing?"

Shirabu gazed up at him, his eyes shimmering in the light. "I don't...know?"

It was a lot to process in one day, Semi could understand it. He wasn't sure if it was exactly a great idea himself. The college application on his desk was another stark reminder that life was forever changing.

"How about, we keep this between us for now, at least for a few weeks until we're sure?" He used his free hand to caress Shirabu's cheek. "We don't have to do anything, say anything to anyone."

Shirabu nodded. "Yeah, yeah I like that idea."

They shared a smile before Semi leaned down and kissed him again. The evening drew in as they remained there in each other's company. Semi's phone buzzed a few times with texts coming in, but they were all ignored. He didn't care what questions Tendou had, he only cared about the peaceful quiet that had finally settled in his mind.

Shirabu seemed at peace as they lay side by side on Semi's bed, tracing his fingertips over Semi's jawline. They didn't push the topic of what they were, they didn’t talk about the team or volleyball in general. They simply lay quietly in each other's presence.

Only when the dawn's light shone through the open blinds, stirring them awake, did they realise they fell asleep like that.

 

* * *

  

The three days of practice before the game on Friday were the strangest for the rest of the team. They were used to Semi and Shirabu's bickering echoing off the walls of the gym, but not once during those three days did either of them raise their voices at each other. Yeah, there was still mild teasing and Semi bopped Shirabu on the head with a volleyball more than once in response to something he said, but the third years could definitely tell something was up.

"He never replied to my texts on Monday." Tendou pointed out to Oohira. "And now this is happening."

Oohira shrugged. "Maybe coach said something to both of them to get them to play nice?"

"Uh huh, Semi Eita playing nice with Shirabu because coach told him to?"

Ushijima had remained unfazed by it all until now. "Eita probably figures his time is limited so he might as well be useful."

"Pffft." Tendou shook his head. "Nah, I don't think it's that." he smirked. "I think, Eita is _in love_."

Oohira chuckled, mainly at the way Ushijima raised his eyebrows and seemed deep in thought. Their speculation was cut short by Goshiki asking one of them to help him practice his blocks before their opponents arrived.

On the other side of the gym, Semi sighed. The team from Akita would be arriving soon, he was interested in how this was going to play out; Shirabu on the starting string with the 'team of tomorrow' and the third years on the bench again. Except this time if Shirabu fucked up, Washijo wouldn't hesitate to sub him in.

"I'll be fine." Shirabu pouted.

"I'm sure you will." Semi snorted. "Just keep your temper under control and don't blow up at Goshiki."

"Well if he's in the right--"

Semi put a finger to Shirabu's lips. "What did I say about you blaming your spikers?"

"Not to?" Shirabu uttered against his finger.

"Exactly."

They exchanged a smile before Semi decided to go and find out what the others were doing, leaving Shirabu to mentally prepare for the match ahead of him. Shirabu bounced the ball in his hands and sighed. The pressure was on him today, but he didn't _feel_ pressured.

He spotted Goshiki stretching not too far away from him. With another sigh, he took the ball and headed over.

"Hey."

Goshiki seemed distrusting but nodded in response.

"So uh," he inwardly cursed, Semi made this seem so easy, "d-do your best today and I'll try to match you."

Goshiki's eyebrows furrowed. "You mean you won't yell at me today?"

Shirabu stopped short of sighing. "Yeah." He clutched the ball in his hands. "And I'll toss to you and not get mad if we mess up...if _I_ mess up."

There was a small smile from Goshiki. "Alright. I'll hit every toss you give me."

As their opponents arrived at the gym, everyone switched to game mode. Semi found himself sat between Tendou and Oohira on the bench as their kouhais took their places on the court. The team from Akita didn't look too threatening but looks could be deceiving.

Shiratorizawa took the first serve, from there it was a long rally, neither side giving up the first point too easily. Goshiki hit every toss sent to him by Shirabu, finally securing the first point. It was a promising start from the inexperienced team. As they claimed the first set, everyone felt confident.

Coach Washijo didn't change anything as the second set began, though his assistant was keeping notes on the match. The second set felt different, like the tempo had increased. Semi knew it can feel like the rug had been pulled from under you when that happened. The ball moved faster, the spikes were harder but not as refined.

Their rookie libero was having a hard time keeping up.

"C'mon Akakura, you can do better than that!" Washijo called from the sidelines as another point was given away.

Semi swallowed as he noticed Shirabu's slight panicked expression. The score was slipping away from them and it was going to take a drastic shift in play to change it. Or a host of substitutions.

"Yamagata, get ready to go on." Washijo uttered to their usual libero. "They need someone competent."

By the time they switched their liberos, the score was too unbalanced to claim the set back. The frustration was clear on Shirabu and Goshiki's faces as they took a timeout.

"You're doing alright all things considered." Oohira offered the pair in encouragement. "It's not easy to deal with a fast pace like that."

"Yeah," Shirabu hummed, taking a long drink, "still sucks."

"So get out there and slow it down." Semi stated. "Don't panic when they speed it up, just keep your head fall back on the practice drills."

"The faster they play the ball, the sloppier their spikes are." Oohira added. "Eita's style of setting is good for it but you need to be accurate for a long time to pull it off. They'll tire soon and that's when you strike."

The words of encouragement seemed to lift their spirits a little. As they stepped out onto the court for their third set, Tendou playfully nudged Semi's side.

"Surprised you're not jumping at the opportunity to sub on for him."

Semi scoffed, watching the opposition serve the ball. "He's gotta learn at some point, best it's now whilst I can pick up the pieces afterwards."

"Oooh?"

Semi ignored him as he watched the fast pace kick up again. Shirabu tossed the ball to Goshiki, the latter spiked it with impressive force and scored the first point. What began promisingly turned into a mixed set as the rookies began to tire. Washijo subbed on Tendou and Oohira to try and keep a tight grip on the score. For a time it worked, but the chopping and changing of styles started stressing Shirabu out.

"He's not focusing." Ushijima stated.

"He's trying." Semi replied. "He's got to adapt for the experienced players as well as the inexperienced ones."

Ushijima hummed, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "Eita, I know you're fond of him but remember what this match is about."

"It's about the team of tomorrow, yes." Semi hissed. "But--"

"Nationals are on the horizon Eita." Ushijima cut in, rising to his feet as the call to sub Goshiki off came in. "He needs to be ready sure, but so do you."

As Goshiki sat down and Ushijima took to the court, Semi felt a heaviness about it all. He wanted Shirabu to succeed, but Ushijima was right; they couldn't afford to lose practice matches because of sentimentality. They had a reputation to protect.

"Semi." Washijo barked. "Be ready to sub on for the next set. We need your serving arm."

Ushijima and Oohira between them killed the set and claimed it for the home team. They just needed one more for a victory. Semi started stretching his previously sore shoulder, thinking about the possible timing of his pinch serve.

"We'll hold you until we see how quick they come out the gate." Washijo told him. "If Shirabu is struggling, you'll go in sooner."

"Understood." Semi nodded, trying to shake the guilt from him.

He watched as the fourth -and hopefully final- set began. A chance ball gave them possession and allowed Ushijima to storm ahead. There was a feeling in the air like they were viewing this as a match on the national level, that to lose is to die. He was used to the do or die attitudes, but some of them weren't.

Credit where credit was due, their opponents weren't letting Ushijima intimidate them. Several points were gained by them, Shiratorizawa repaid the favour. It was coming down to the wire when Shirabu fumbled and dropped the ball.

"Substitution for #10."

Semi sighed as he waited for an exhausted Shirabu to meet him at the game line. "Just take five. I'll get those points back." He whispered, Shirabu nodded but wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Let's gooo SemiSemi~" Tendou cheered as Semi accepted the ball to serve.

He glanced to the bench where Shirabu was wiping his face with a towel before trying to clear his mind. All he saw was the other side of the net as he took the serve. The smack of the ball hitting the polished floor rang out around the room, quickly followed by the shrill of the whistle.

"Nice going Eita!" Oohira called.

"I knew there was a reason we kept you around." Tendou remarked.

"Yeah I bet it was _real hard_ remembering my talents." Semi sarcastically replied, accepting the ball back for another serve. He let out a short exhale before taking it again. This time their libero was more on the ball and kept it in.

What followed was a quick exchange that tested his setting abilities. He gritted his teeth as he had to twist his shoulder back to swipe the ball in the general direction of Ushijima. The pain flared up again but that wasn't his concern as the spiker followed through.

The match point was up for grabs, but Semi could feel his shoulder burning.

"Well, it had to happen sooner or later I guess." He sighed, clutching the joint. As he walked off, he saw Shirabu's concerned gaze. "Hey, get out there and put this match to bed yeah?"

"...yeah, yeah."

"Remember what I said, trust your spikers."

Shirabu nodded, jogging onto the court as Semi was handed an iced towel to soothe his shoulder. Goshiki gave him a thumbs up as play resumed.

As much as he didn't feel pressured earlier, Shirabu could feel it biting now. They waited for the opposition to serve, his hands were trembling as he watched the ball soar over the net. He had to pick between the spikers, the choice he made could win or lose the game.

Yamagata scoped the ball up before it hit the floor, sending it flying.

_Oohira or Ushijima? or even Tendou? Too many choices. Too many voices. Too much noise._

Shirabu swallowed. He raised his hands ready to toss.

He didn't know what to do. He scrambled around in his head for some words of wisdom, nothing anyone had said could help him. Well, almost nothing;

_"When your back's against the wall, they'll look to you to set up the play that'll break through and score."_

He had to set up a play, a move that they wouldn't see coming. They had been battered by Ushijima's spikes all match, they'd be expecting that.

He knew what they wouldn't be expecting.

As the ball hurtled towards him, he made to toss to Ushijima. The middle blockers fell for it. He jumped and brought his right hand around to dump it over the net. As he landed with a squeak of his sneakers. He froze.

The referee's whistle sounded, the match point was theirs.

Shirabu let out a heavy sigh, glancing at the bench where Semi had seen it all. He didn't give himself time to think, he brushed off Tendo's hand and bolted over to the other who had since stood up with the rest of the team.

"Nice one Kenjirou--" Semi started, he didn't get any further as Shirabu yanked him down by the jersey into a kiss.

Pandemonium erupted as the likes of Tendou and Goshiki reacted to this out of the blue gesture with their jaws dropping. Semi didn't help the matter by dropping the iced towel from his shoulder and cupping Shirabu's face to hold him still.

The opposition team didn't know what the hell was happening, neither did the referee or the coaching staff. Washijo just stared blankly at the two of them as they parted.

"...what was that about keeping it between us?" Semi breathed as the blush flooded Shirabu's face.

"Uh-I...uhm..." Shirabu shrugged. "I dunno."

They were never going to hear the end of this, Semi could feel it. He let go of Shirabu and shoved him to go and line up with the rest of the team, trying not to think about how much _he_ was blushing. Once the post-match formalities were out of the way, Coach Washijo summoned everyone together to debrief.

"Ahem, so considering the odds, there was an improvement." He started. "Akakura you need some more libero training with fast-paced spikes but other than that everyone did well."

It was a bizarrely positive debrief.

"And regarding the matter of the _setters_ ," his tone aired on the side of amused, and it certainly made everyone else side-glance both Semi and Shirabu. "you both complement each other's skill-sets and that one-on-one training seems to have paid off. Just keep the focus on the _game_ and not _each other_."

Semi wanted to laugh, he just sheepishly smiled. "Yes sensei."

"Understood." Shirabu added quietly.

"Good. Now get outta here all of you. Practice as usual on Monday. And get that shoulder looked at again Semi."

"Yes." Semi nodded, thankful they avoided a grilling from their coach.

Now he just had to survive the rest of the team grilling him.

They at least had the good grace to wait until they were out of the gym.

"Yooo SemiSemi~" Tendou shouted as he slung an arm around Semi's shoulders. "So I guess the nurse didn't cure you of your lovebug eh?"

"Shut the hell up!" Semi sighed as there was laughter from more than one person. "There wasn't anything to cure dumbass."

Shirabu had no idea what Tendou was talking about but he laughed at Semi's plight. He slipped his hand into Semi's as the group walked towards the dorm building, listening to Tendou interrogating Semi about all the details that were being hidden from him.

"For the last time, you didn't need to know!" Semi cuffed Tendou around the back of the head. "Like you would've been any help anyway."

"Hey now Eita," Tendou pouted, "I triggered your awakening~"

"Don't fucking call it that!"

Oohira was laughing too hard to open the door to his room at first. Once he got the key in the lock and opened the door, they all filed in and picked up the conversation again.

"What was your awakening hm?" Shirabu asked, squeezing Semi's hand as they sat on the floor with the others.

"It wasn't an awakening." Semi protested.

"It was when you made that dump and he was just _staring longingly_ at your smile~" Tendou swooned, draping himself across Ushijima's lap for dramatic effect. "And I had to tell him that he was in loooove."

"You make it sound like a Disney movie, stop that." Semi scowled.

"Don't tell me, then he broke out into that one song...what was it--" Oohira snapped his fingers as he thought. "Oh 'I won't say I'm in love'?"

Tendou laughed, still draped across Ushijima's lap. "Yes! Yes he did!"

"No I did not!" Semi's protests were drowned out by the two of them bursting into off-key singing. Shirabu was laughing too hard to be any help whatsoever, Yamagata merely joined in with them and Ushijima just seemed content to watch the world burn around him.

"You're all the worst people ever." Semi sighed, trying to hide his smile.

"You love us really." Oohira remarked.

"Not as much as he loves Kenjirou." Tendou winked, that remark got Shirabu blushing. "When's the wedding?"

"Satori I swear to god I'm gonna--"

"Let me be the best man? Aw thanks Eita~"

"SATORI"

They all broke into fits of laughter, even Ushijima had to laugh at the situation. Shirabu was a blushing mess as Semi sighed heavily at the antics of his friends.

"So, real talk." Yamagata hummed. "Are you two a thing or not?"

They exchanged a glance, Shirabu's eyes were wide as Semi was deemed the one responsible for answering. He shrugged at first, forgetting his sore shoulder and instantly regretting it.

"Uh well we didn't really..." Semi tailed off, dancing around the subject. "I didn't really anticipate having to answer that question today."

"Yeah well Kenjirou outed you both to us." Tendou grinned. "So...what's it gonna be?"

"Since when was it your business?" Semi retorted.

"Since I triggered your awakening--"

"Satori Tendou if you refer to it like that one more time, I'm going to toss you out the door."

"No tossing people out of doors Eita." Ushijima stated.

"Spoilsport."

"The window would make better entertainment." He smiled.

"Now _that_ I can get behind."

"Wakatoshi whyyyyy?" Tendou pouted up at the other.

"Because you're making my legs go numb."

Shirabu shook his head. "How are you guys the pinnacle of Shiratorizawa's volleyball team? You're all a mess."

"Yeah well congratulations, you just joined it." Semi retorted, poking Shirabu's cheek. "Get used to it babe."

Tendou rolled off Ushijima's lap in the most over-dramatic fashion and practically shouted, " _Babe_! Oh my god SaltySemi's turned into SweetieSemi~"

Laughter erupted again as Semi face-palmed, trying to hide his blushing face.

"Please continue giving him new nicknames, I need things to annoy him with." Shirabu chuckled.

"Noooo" Semi groaned. "No more."

Tendou cackled. "Aw don't worry SemiSemi, one day I'll stop...but not today."

"Oh wait, I need to go and get my shoulder checked again." Semi announced, standing up, anything to try and get away from the endless teasing. "Coach ordered me to so I can leave you to your...whatever it is."

"Boo you." Tendou pouted. "Just get Kenjirou to kiss it better."

"I doubt Coach Washijo will accept that as treatment." Semi uttered, glancing to Shirabu. "You coming with or do you want to hang out with these lunatics some more?"

Shirabu decided to take his opportunity to leave the chaos, taking Semi's hand once they were in the hallway. He was a little confused when they started walking in the opposite direction to the nurse’s office. The confusion faded as Semi opened his dorm room door and tugged him inside. He found himself backed up against the door as it closed.

"Not going to the nurse's office?" He raised an eyebrow. "Coach is gonna kill you."

Semi snorted. "I don't care right now." He leaned forward and kissed Shirabu. "All I care about right now is you."

" _Now_ who's being cheesy?"

He was answered with another kiss, it was more frantic than the previous ones they shared and Shirabu wasn't complaining about that. He trailed his fingers up Semi's arm, squeezing his bicep.

"You should probably go get it checked out though." He hummed as Semi pulled back slightly.

Semi watched his expression closely as he licked his soft lips.

"Besides, you could ask the nurse for some _other_ things...that we both might need."

The blush that crept up over Semi's pale cheeks made Shirabu chuckle. "I could...if we needed them."

Shirabu raised his eyebrows. "Do you think we need them?"

Semi mulled it over. "Not tonight...another time. We've had enough craziness this week, I'm not adding 'asking the nurse for condoms' to that list."

Shirabu pulled him into a softer kiss, walking him back until his knees hit the bed. They paused for a moment, gazing into each other's eyes before Semi smiled.

"You don't mind, do you?"

"No, I'm kinda relieved." Shirabu huffed, smiling as he buried his face in Semi's chest. "I've never been with anyone so--"

"Neither have I. There's no rush." Semi stroked his hair. "Let's just chill and revel in the victory today yeah?"

Shirabu didn't need to be asked twice, he made himself comfortable on Semi's bed as the other drew the blinds and turned out the main lights in favour of the softer lamp.

They lay facing each other once more, this time the uncertainty of things not hanging over them like last time. It was nice to just lay in silence with each other, not straining for conversation or worrying about school assignments and volleyball games.

They had each other, and whilst they may not be strictly 'dating', no-one could tell them what to do. It had been a crazy week, but one neither of them would regret.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((If people want it I can add a smutty chapter, it just didn't feel to fit the overall tone I was going for but do let me know!))


End file.
